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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Romans 3 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/romans/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/romans/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > Romans 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../romans/2.htm" title="Romans 2">◄</a> Romans 3 <a href="../romans/4.htm" title="Romans 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/romans/3.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">God Remains Faithful</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a></p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, </p><p class="b"/><p class="line1">“You will be proved right in what you say,</p><p class="line2">and you will win your case in court.”<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a></p><p class="b"/><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>“But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>“But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.</p><p class="hdg">All People Are Sinners</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">c</span></a> are under the power of sin. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>As the Scriptures say,</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1">“No one is righteous—</p><p class="line2">not even one.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>No one is truly wise;</p><p class="line2">no one is seeking God.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>All have turned away;</p><p class="line2">all have become useless.</p><p class="line1">No one does good,</p><p class="line2">not a single one.”<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">d</span></a></p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.</p><p class="line2">Their tongues are filled with lies.”</p><p class="line1">“Snake venom drips from their lips.”<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">e</span></a></p><p class="line2"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">f</span></a></p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>“They rush to commit murder.</p><p class="line2"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Destruction and misery always follow them.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>They don’t know where to find peace.”<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">g</span></a></p><p class="line2"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>“They have no fear of God at all.”<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">h</span></a></p><p class="b"/><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.</p><p class="hdg">Christ Took Our Punishment</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">i</span></a> and the prophets long ago. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">j</span></a> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/3-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:2 </span><span class="ft">Greek </span><span class="it">the oracles of God.</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:4 </span><span class="ft">Ps 51:4 (Greek version).</span><br><span class="fn">c</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:9 </span><span class="ft">Greek </span><span class="it">or Greeks.</span><br><span class="fn">d</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:10-12 </span><span class="ft">Pss 14:1-3; 53:1-3 (Greek version).</span><br><span class="fn">e</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:13 </span><span class="ft">Pss 5:9 (Greek version); 140:3.</span><br><span class="fn">f</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:14 </span><span class="ft">Ps 10:7 (Greek version).</span><br><span class="fn">g</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:15-17 </span><span class="ft">Isa 59:7-8.</span><br><span class="fn">h</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:18 </span><span class="ft">Ps 36:1.</span><br><span class="fn">i</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:21 </span><span class="ft">Greek </span><span class="it">in the law.</span><br><span class="fn">j</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:30 </span><span class="ft">Greek </span><span class="it">whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. 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